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The Brunswick Mission Church
|victims = 1 killed 15+ hostages |appearance = "Lost Souls" }} The Brunswick Mission Church was a radical Christian cult that appeared in Lost Souls. Background The Brunswick Mission Church was founded in Texas by Elijah Ward, a charismatic sociopath who viewed himself as a prophet of God. Over many years, he first recruited Jacob Ross as his right-hand man, followed by eleven other men who served as his disciples. Then, operating under the guise of a regular church group, they recruited nine women and brainwashed them into obedience towards Elijah. One of the women, Rebecca Moore, also inducted her son Nicholas into the group. Years later, the group went to Tanzania as part of a goodwill mission to volunteer in local villages. Unbeknownst to the female members and Nicholas, Elijah and the other men had been planning on establishing a permanent paradise for the entire group for years. They planned to do so by staging a mass abduction aboard a passenger train, and they were assisted by locals hired by Elijah. Lost Souls The group eventually set their plan into motion one night. The next day, while walking across a field with the others, Rebecca stops to help Nicholas tie his shoe, but one of the gunmen tells her to keep walking. Once the group arrives at the settlement, Elijah reveals the true purpose of the church to the women and Nicholas. When Nicholas remains fearful at the prospect of not going home, Elijah non-fatally drowns Nicholas as punishment for being afraid. Afterwards, Elijah leads a prayer with the others. Then, the IRT show up and eventually force Elijah and his followers to stand down. Modus Operandi Elijah and the group targeted women who suffered from abuse and were seeking help, taking advantage of their emotional vulnerability to recruit them and shape them into loyal members of the church. After years of brainwashing the women, they took them to Tanzania under the guise of a goodwill mission to help the beleaguered locals. While aboard a passenger train, they staged a mass abduction carried out by locals hired by Elijah, and the women were forced to leave their belongings on the train as a forensic countermeasure. Once the group reached Elijah's planned settlement, that was when Elijah announced the true purpose of the group to all of the women, expecting them to remain loyal. Profile Before they realized the mass abduction was staged, the IRT profiled the event as specialized and requiring many offenders. These unsubs are confident, organized, and having the means to hold 23 people hostage. They also likely have access to encampments, vehicles, and weapons. Following the revelation of the staged mass abduction, they amended their profile slightly: the unsubs are a radical cult who were in on the whole thing and had brainwashed the women. They are led by the charismatic Elijah, who groomed the women to trust him and used their faith against them. Known Members *Leader: Elijah Ward . Portrayed by Steve Kazee. *Lieutenant: Jacob Ross . Portrayed by James Thomas Gilbert. *Members: **John . Portrayed by Stephen L. Sullivan. **Ten unnamed men . All portrayed by uncredited actors. **At least seven unnamed Tanzanian locals . All portrayed by uncredited actors. Known Victims *Nine women and one child abducted aboard a passenger train. They are: **Rebecca Moore and her son Nicholas **Eight unnamed other women *Jacob Ross *All of the following were held at gunpoint: **Jack Garrett **Clara Seger **Matthew Simmons **Mae Jarvis **Inspector A.P. Polino **Several unnamed Specials Ops agents Appearances *Season Two **"Lost Souls" Category:Beyond Borders Characters Category:Criminals Category:North American Criminals Category:African Criminals